Knockdown table and seat unit



March 20, 1934. 1. MACDONALD KNOCKDOWN TABLE AND SEAT UNIT Filed May 21, 1932 5 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR [an Macdanald Q ban March 20, 1934.

I. MACDONALD KNOCKDOWN TABLE AND SEAT UNIT Filed May 21, 1932 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Ian Macdonald BY Q44 51...;

ATTORN EY March 20, 1934. MACDONALD 1,951,619

xnocxnovm TABLE AND SEAT UNIT Filed May 21, 1932 3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

[an Macdoziald BY ORNEY Patented Mar. 20, 1934 UNETED STATES PATENT OFFICE 7 Claims.

This invention relates to knockdown furniture and particularly to a table and seat unit. The principal objects of my invention are to provide a structure of this character in which the component parts may be quickly set up or taken down without the use of tools or fastenings of any character being necessary; which when set up form a substantial and rigid structure and which when taken down may be stored in a very com- 10 pact space; one whose component parts are very light and easily handled and yet which when set up will provide seating accommodations for four full grown people and table space for any eating or recreational requirements.

My improved knockdown unit is particularly suitable for porch or lawn use but is also admirably adapted for any outdoor use such as for camp grounds, picnics etc. and in fact any place where the space or weather conditions render the use of a permanently set-up structure undesirable or inadvisable.

A further object of the invention is to produce a simple and inexpensive device and yet one which will be exceedingly effective for the purpose for which it is designed.

These objects I accomplish by means of such structure and relative arrangement of parts as will fully appear by a perusal of the following specification and claims.

In the drawings similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several views:

Fig. l is a perspective view of the unit as set up and ready for use.

Fig. 2 is a similar view of the frame structure alone as set up.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary perspective view of a pair of adjacent frame members at their adjacent corners before being completely associated with each other.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary top plan View of the table with the top broken away to show the engagement of a table brace with the supporting frame below.

I Fig. 5 is a vertical section of the same on the 49 line 5-5 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the table with the seats mounted in connection therewith for storing or transportation purposes.

Fig. '7 is a perspective view of one of the sup- 50 porting frame units detached.

Referring now more particularly to the characters of reference on the drawings, the frame of the structure of which there are four in the form herein disclosed, each comprises a horizontal bar 1 disposed at a convenient seating height from the ground and rabbeted at one end into and secured to the inner face of a depending leg 2. The bottom of the leg rests on and is secured to the lower end of a diagonallly extending upright 3 which intermediate its ends crosses and is secured to the outer face of the bar 1. A similar but oppositely sloping upright 4 extends downwardly in the direction of the opposite end of the bar 1 from adjacent the upper end of the diagonal 3. Said uprights are therefore disposed in the form of an inverted V, with their upper ends at a convenient table height from the ground and located centrally of the length of the bar 1. The facing edges of the uprights at their upper ends are parallel to each other and are spaced apart so as to form what may be termed a socket 5 therebetween for the purpose which will be set forth later. A cleat 6 connects the diagonals on their inner faces and forms the bottom of the socket.

A cleat 7 is disposed against the upper face of the upright 3 and extends from the bar 1 to a point short of the leg 2 so as to leave a deep notch 8 therebetween whose width is slightly greater than the thickness of the upright. A similar cleat 9 is secured against the upper face of the upright 4 and extends from the bar 1 to the ground and has a cut in its lower edge to form, with the adjacent end of the upright 4, an inverted notch 10. The upright 4 and the bar 1 are disposed so that the lower end of the 5 cleat 9 and the adjacent end of the bar are substantially in common vertical alinement. The bar adjacent said endis provided with a notch 11 in its lower edge longitudinally offset from the notch 10 and at its opposite end with a notch 12 in its upper face longitudinally offset from the notch 8.

By reason of the above construction of the frame it will be seen that by the very nature of its form it may be made of relatively thin and of light material without sacrifice of strength and rigidity. In connecting the frames together the leg end of one frame is disposed in matching right angular relation with the legless end of the other frame, as shown in Fig. 3. The last 0 named frame is maintained in raised relation to the first named frame until the cooperating pairs of notches 11-42 and 8-10 are in vertically alined positions, whereupon the raised frame is lowered until the notches co-act with each other. The offset relationship of the" cooperating pairs of notches is the same as the offset of the bars 1 relative to the diagonal uprights, so that the two frames fit together without any binding.

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Said frames are then disposed so that they cannot be separated unless raised relative to each other, the bars 1 are all on the same level and the four frames together form a self-supporting square structure, as shown in Fig. 2. The portions of the bars 1 at their corners or between their adjacent ends and the adjacent uprights form supports for seat boards 13. These boards are substantially in the form of an isosceles triangle so that their sides are parallel to the bars or include a angle; With their apices at the corners of the frame structure. The boards have notches 14 cut in their sides adjacent their base to engage the adjacent portions of the uprights which project above the bars 1. Said boards are thus held against sliding movement in any direction and cannot be removed unless they are raised. Apart from serving as seats these boards also act as gusset plates to brace the frame structure against possible horizontal distortion.

The rigidity of the assembled frame is further insured by the mounting of the table in connection therewith. This table comprises a square top 15 of suitable material with an edge flange 16 depending all around the same. Diagonal brace bars 17 extend under the top between the corners of the same. When the table is mounted on the assembled frame structure the corners of the table are disposed at the peaks of the diagonal frame uprights, the braces 17 adjacent their ends fitting in the sockets 5 and resting on the cleats 6. The inner lower edge of the adjacent portions of the flange 16 then engages the opposite faces of the uprights 3 and 4, said uprights being preferably sprung in slightly when mounting the table in order that the apices of the uprights shall thus fit snugly in the corners of the flange 16. In this manner an extremely rigid structure is provided, preventing any possible shifting of the table and causing the cooperating notches of the frame members to be positively held in looking engagement with each other.

The relationship of the table to the frame structure is such that the corners of the table are disposed centrally between the corners of the frame structure, as shown in Fig. 1, so that the seats are naturally positioned along the four sides of the table in symmetrical relation thereto, with r the inner edges of the seats parallel to the corresponding sides of the table. The parts of the structure as a whole are proportioned so that there is plenty of space between the table and seats for the occupants to step into and out of seating position without inconvenience and without danger of upsetting the table.

Apart from serving as braces and frame engaging elements the diagonal bars 17 form, with the table top and the edge flange 16, receptacles or pockets for the reception of the individual seat boards when they are not in use, as shown in Fig. 6. The boards are then retained in place sufiicient to prevent them from dropping out too easily of themselves, by a light cleat framework 18 secured to the braces 1'? in symmetrical relation about their crossing point. The table when dismounted from the frame may he stood on edge and will then occupy a space under 2" in depth. Similarly the frame units when disengaged from each other and stacked together occupy a very small space as to depth. The entire structure may therefore be stored in the back: of a closet or similar place without interfering with the use of the closet for other purposes.

From the foregoing description it will be readily seen that I have produced such a device as substantially fulfills the object of the invention as set forth herein.

"'Jhile this specification sets forth in detail the present and preferred construction of the device, still in practicesuch deviations from such detail may be resorted to as do not form a dcparture from the spirit of the invention, as defined by the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and useful and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A knock wn table and seat unit compris ing more tb two separate frame units, each unit including a horizontal disposed at a elevation, and a pair of uprights secured intermediate their ends to said bar and disposed in dowir dly diverging relation from a point above the bar substantially at table elevation, means formed with the units to disengageably connect e same together at their ends to outline an a of polygonal form, seats resting on and removably supported by the bars of adl'raine units at their adjacent ends, and a table removably supported by the upper ends of the various pairs of uprights.

2. A knockdown table and seat unit comprising a plurality of separate frame units, each unit including a horizontal bar disposed at a seating elevation, and a pair of uprights secured intermediate their ends to said bar and disposed in downwardly diverging relation from a point above the bar substantially at table elevation, means to disengageably connect the units together at their ends to outline an area of polygonal form, seats resting on and removably supported by adjacent bars at their adjacent ends, the seats extending the full distance between adjacent uprights of adjacent frame units and being notched at their ends for locating engagement with said uprights, and a table of polygonal form removably supported at corners by the upper ends of various pairs of uprights.

3. A knockdown table and seat unit comprising more than two separate frame units, each unit including a horizontal bar disposed at a seating el vation, and a pair of uprights secured intermediate their ends to said bar and disposed in downwardly diverging relation from a point above the bar substantially at table elevation,

means to disengageably connect the units together at their ends to outline an area of polygonal form, seats resting on and removably supported by the bars of adjacent frame units at their adjacent ends, a table of polygonal form having 9. depending flange all about the same, the pairs of uprights at their upper ends being overhung by the flanges and engaged at their outer edges by the inner edges of the flanges adjacent the corners of the same when the table is lowered in place on th uprights whereby to locate and support the table.

4. A knockdown table and seat unit comprising a plurality of separate frame units, each unit including a horizontal bar disposed at a seating 3L1 elevation, and a pair of uprights secured intermediate their ends to said bar and disposed in downwardly diverging relation from a point above the bar substantially at table elevation, means to disengageably connect the units, together at their ends to outline an area of polygonal form, seats resting on and removably supported by adjacent bars at their adjacent ends, a table of polygonal form, and diagonal bars extending '7 K n u under the table top between the opposed corners of the same, the pairs of uprights being spaced apart at their upper ends a distance suflicient to receive the bars therebetween, and supports for the lower edges of the diagonal table bars secured on the uprights, the distance between opposed corners of the table being slightly less than the distance between opposed pairs of uprights whereby the latter may be sprung inwardly of the table corners to engage the bars.

5. A knockdown table and seat unit comprising four separate frame units, means to disengageably connect said units together in self-supporting upright relationship to outline a square area, seats supported solely by the corners of the assembled frame structure a predetermined distance from the ground, a square table, and means formed with the frame units centrally between their ends to support the table at the corners thereof.

6. In a knockdown table, a polygonal sided table top, a flange depending all around and following the periphery of the top, and a supporting structure for the table top including vertical A frames connected together along their lengths below their apices, there being one frame for each corner of the table; said frames at their apices fitting in the angles formed by the flange at the corners of the table and being then engaged on the outer side edges by the inner faces of the flange on both sides of the corner angles; said frames being sprung transversely of the table by such engagement.

7. A knockdown table and seat unit comprising more than two separate frame units, means formed with said units to disengageably connect the same together in self supporting upright relationship and so that they outline an area of polygonal form, seats removably supported solely by the corners of the units a predetermined distance from the ground, a table symmetrical in form to that of the assembled frame units and independent thereof, and means formed with the frame units to removably support the table solely at its corners on said units centrally of the corners thereof and above the seats.

IAN MACDONALD. 

